5 point harness over 18kg.

[OnNaturesCourse]

Anyone know of any seats that have a 5 point harness for over 18kg kids?

[Anoisagusaris]

We have a Joie one. It’s isofix but you need a top tether in your car for it also. Converts them into a HBB.

[Bryna]

Hi, I don’t know if you’re aware but unless there’s a special need for a harness over 18kg, you are better off using a High back booster. Having said that ibelive the in car safety centre offer some car seats that offer harnessing until a higher weight

[welshweasel]

Bryna, that depends on the age of the child. Generally you wouldn’t want to use a hbb until 4 at the very earliest so for heavy children 25kg harnessed seats are very necessary.

[Bryna]

Yes, your right welshweasel, I was going to write that also, but thought it might end up being a very long message😀

[Bryna]

*you’re

[SomethingNastyInTheBallPool]

The Britax 2-Way Elite goes up to 25kg when used rear-facing.

[SomethingNastyInTheBallPool]

Oh, and we got ours from the In-Car Safety Centre.

[OnNaturesCourse]

Thank you. Yes we have a big DD so need a bigger seat x

[misskatamari]

My two and a half year old recently hit 18kg. Too young for a hbb so we've gone for the Joie Bold. It's forward facing, which wasn't ideal, but we couldn't afford to buy a really really expensive new car seat (after spending £350 on the last one which was supposed to last until 4!). We're happy with it, he loves it, and it converts to a hbb when he's older. I believe it is 5 point harness up to 25kg

[Bryna]

@Onnaturescourse I didn’t want to presume anything! It’s easy to offend people without meaning to! Try the Facebook group [ rear facing- the way forward ] I believe they have a list of harnessed to 25kg seats, some rear facing, some forward facing x

[Bryna]

@OnNaturesCourse

[teaandbiscuitsforme]

There are quite a few 25kg seats now - Axkid Minikid, Axkid Move, Britax Two Way Elite, Britax Max Way to name a few. All use a seatbelt fitting and tether around the seat in front. If you look at the forward facing ones, they also need top tether points that not all cars have (rear facing is also still far more safe).

The Facebook group 'car seat advice uk' is best for seeing which seats other people have fitted in your car, although the 25kg seats are much more universal than some of the 18kg seats.

[OnNaturesCourse]

Thanks all.

DD would not tolerate being rear facing again so we are looking for a forward facing one within a small budget (having already spent 300£ on a car seat that promised to last until she was 4 😑)

Shes not quite out of her current one but it won't be far off.

[newroundhere]

I was just coming on to ask exactly the same thing - DS is 23 months and weighs 19kg... And we did the same thing as you @OnNaturesCourse - bought an expensive seat that was supposed to last until he was 4 that he's now too big for

@misskatamari how do you find the Joie Bold? I read some reviews that say it's difficult to fit?

[misskatamari]

We got it fitted at mothercare, but it seemed okay to fit, just a few stages. You isofix it, car seat belt it and top tether (had to cut a hole in the back of the seat in the boot to find ours). I think as long as you make sure to really follow all instructions it's fine. The only slight annoying thing is it is a bit tricky tightening the straps sometimes but you just have to pull it downwards which gets it snug x

[newroundhere]

Thanks misskatamari

[OnNaturesCourse]

Joie Bold is still so pricey but I think I grudge it so much because of the price of our current seat!

Manufacturers need to consider our bigger babies!

[AliceMum09]

There are plenty of seats with harnesses that go right up to 25kg, it’s not the manufacturers who are to blame, it’s the retailers. They need stop selling the 18kg limit seats to parents who have babies on the upper centiles of the growth charts because they will never last a ‘heavy’ baby until they are 4. Everyone who wasted money on an 18kg seat could have just put that money towards a 25kg seat in the first place if they had been properly informed.

[Spudlet]

it’s not the manufacturers who are to blame, it’s the retailers. They need stop selling the 18kg limit seats to parents who have babies on the upper centiles of the growth charts because they will never last a ‘heavy’ baby until they are 4.

YES. I am so cross that John Lewis flogged us an every stage on the basis that we would be able to use it until he no longer needed a car seat. He's now rapidly approaching 18kg - he's never going to last in the 5-point harness until he's 4. And they never mentioned it once!

[ILikTheBred]

Joie Bold was the only forward facing one we could find OP. It’s a so-so car seat - not the most comfortable and awkward to fasten the straps but it keeps my 3 year old contained ! Just make sure your car has a top tether - although the fitting guide said it would fit in my child minder’s car, it didn’t as she didn’t have a top tether.

[KitchenFloor]

My understanding is that if forward facing a harness isn't as safe as a hbb over 18kg.
It's worth asking advice from a qualified car seat specialist such as in car safety centre.

[ArfArfBarf]

Make sure you check how high the straps can go too. We found height to be more of an issue than weight. Look where the highest strap hole is relative to your child’s shoulders.

[littledinaco]

My understanding is that if forward facing a harness isn't as safe as a hbb over 18kg.

The child has to be mature enough to sit correctly in the HBB at all times though. So no messing about, slouching, leaning forward, pulling with the seatbelt, etc. If you’ve got a heavy 3 year old who isn’t reliable to sit correctly then harnessed would be safer.
I think there are other reasons too (something to do with development of hips/spine maybe but I’m not certain) but agree definitely worth asking an expect.

[KitchenFloor]

My recollections are a bit patchy but I think it was to do with the harness effectively holding them too well so in a crash the only thing that could move would be the head, which would place extra forces on it and potentially cause more severe injury than a seatbelt type restraint. Rear facing this is less of an issue as the seat takes the forward impact. My seat (britax two way elite) is RF to 25kg but only FF to 18kg if you buy new, but my older model is also 25kg FF with harness.

[littledinaco]

Kitchen from what I read, some experts feel the HBB are safer and some say harness is safer BUT I think all would agree to only seatbelt after age 4 as that’s when they are mature enough to sit safely, not likely to fall asleep and flop forward, etc.
I’ve had my older DC friends in HBB and some still have to be reminded not to pull the seatbelt, lean over, try to pick something up off the floor, twist about, etc. I can’t imagine trying to do this with a 3 year old while driving!

This is interesting as it’s saying they actually don’t know which is safer for older children. (For younger, harness is safer).
carseatblog.com/37513/mythbusters-5-point-harnesses-are-safer-than-boosters-for-older-kids/

Yes, rear facing is definitely the safest option though and the 2 way elite is a great seat.
For anyone wondering, I’ve changed a FF child to RF with no issues, they actually say they prefer RF as it’s comfier as their legs don’t dangle.